


The Shape of You

by Jsq86



Category: The Mortal Instruments - All Media Types, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergent, Fluff and Smut in Later Chapters, M/M, Malec
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-09-26 16:09:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20392459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jsq86/pseuds/Jsq86
Summary: Alec and Magnus meet under slightly different circumstances.





	1. Saturday

**Author's Note:**

> Shadowhunter AU; takes place in the same universe but under different circumstances. This fic has been sitting on my computer for about a year and I finally decided to post it. Was written with the books in mind, but can be read by Shadowhunters-only fans too. Got the inspiration when hearing the aforementioned Ed Sheeran song on the radio, then the fic took a turn in another direction as I started writing it, but I decided to keep the title.

Pandemonium pulsed with music as lights skittered around the dance floor and bodies writhed together. Jace, Alec, and Isabelle had spent an uneventful few hours there, a rumor of demon activity gone cold. They had decided to get a few drinks and hang out, by Jace’s request, since the blonde was looking for “new tail” as he called it. Alec nursed his soda as he watched Jace grind with every girl on the dance floor. If anybody asked, he’d tell them it was a rum and Coke, but _one_ of them had to be sober and it might as well be him. Putting his chin in his hand, he looked for Isabelle who was equally occupied. He sighed and took out his phone and just hoped nobody came up to his table to talk to him. After a few minutes of playing Candy Crush, Jace and Isabelle sat down with him and took sips of their drinks. He looked up and saw Jace say something but the music was so loud that Alec couldn’t hear him.  
“What?” he shouted and pointed to his ear.  
This time Jace cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted again but Alec still couldn’t hear him. Taking out his phone, Jace sent Alec a quick text.  
_It’s too loud here. Let’s try the bar across the street_  
Alec rolled his eyes and nodded, then followed his two siblings outside.  
“You guys sure you don’t just want to go home?” Alec asked as they crossed the street.  
“Come on Alec, the night is young,” Jace smiled and glamoured himself. Alec and Isabelle followed suit, knowing full well that they’d never get in without IDs. As they slipped past the bouncer, they made a bee line for the bathrooms, unglamoured, and then grabbed a booth away from the door.  
“I’ll get our drinks,” Isabelle offered and sauntered away toward the bar. 

“So no luck at Pandemonium, huh?” Alec laughed and Jace threw his napkin at him.  
“It was so loud in there,” Jace started, “that I couldn’t get any of the girls to understand me.” He shrugged. “Just as well. That music was starting to give me a headache.”  
Alec nodded in agreement and looked around the bar, which was much more low key. It had a dance floor as well, but was situated away from the main bar area through a door, keeping the loud music contained. Just then he saw Isabelle carrying over a tray of shots, instead of their normal drinks.  
“All right, boys, let’s see what you got!” she smiled and set the tray down.  
Alec shook his head. “No way,” he laughed. “How am I gonna get you two home if we’re all trashed?”  
“Oh Alec, it’s only two shots a piece,” Isabelle said and handed him his drinks. Alec rolled his eyes and sighed. It wasn’t that he hated drinking, he just didn’t really see the point. It just gave him a headache and made him have to pee a lot, then the next day he felt like crap.  
“Come on,” Isabelle smiled again and waggled her drink in front of him. Making a face, Alec picked up his shot glass, followed by Jace, who couldn’t stop smirking. They toasted, their glasses clinking together, and took the shots simultaneously. The pink liquid burned on the way down, but Alec tried not to make a big deal out of it, only coughing once but feeling his eyes water.  
“Good,” he croaked, and both Isabelle and Jace burst out laughing.  
“Ok, last one,” Jace said and picked up his second shot. Alec and Isabelle followed. They clinked glasses one more time, then each threw their heads back as they took the second shot. This time Alec didn’t cough, but could already start to feel the effects of the alcohol as it warmed him from the inside out.  
“All right,” Jace said and slapped the table top with his palms. “I’m gonna go scope out some chicks.” Isabelle gave Alec a knowing look, then slid out of the booth as Jace squeezed by her, and he made his way to the dance floor side of the building.  
“Think I’ll go take a tour too,” Isabelle said and winked. “You okay here?” she asked her big brother, more sincerely this time.  
“Never better,” Alec smiled up at her. Isabelle blew him a kiss and walked away too.  
He sighed again, then decided to hang out at the bar. He thought maybe he wouldn’t look like such a lonely loser sitting by himself there, as opposed to at the table.  
“Just a coke please,” he asked the bartender as he sat down on one of the stools. She came back a minute later with his soda and a napkin. After taking a sip, he took out his phone again and checked the time - just after 11pm, which meant they’d probably be there for at least another hour. Maybe he could finally get the high score in Candy Crush. 

As Alec sat there playing, he saw someone slip onto the stool next to him and order. Alec lifted his eyes and noticed the empty bar—which was in the shape of a square in the middle of the room—suddenly wondering why a complete stranger had to sit next to him, of all places. He decided to ignore them and continued playing his game. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he could see that it was a man and that something on him was sparkling. It was so sparkly, in fact, that Alec was immediately distracted, causing him to lose his high score streak.  
“Shit,” he hissed, then put his phone down.  
“What were you playing?” the man next to him asked and Alec suddenly felt foolish.  
“Candy Crush,” he shrugged. Why bother lying?  
“Ah yes,” the man said and swiveled around in his seat, his back to the bar, “the ultimate time waster.” Alec laughed. “Yeah you could say that.” He noticed a slight accent, though couldn’t say where it was from. Looking at him more closely he now saw that the sparklyness was the man’s dark, spiky hair, which had flecks of glitter in it that shimmered under the bar lights with just the slightest of movements. The rest of his attire, though not quite as flashy, was still very elaborate for someone in a bar. He wore a black mesh sleeveless shirt, which didn’t leave much to the imagination when it came to his flat, taut stomach. Alec felt like he should almost avert his eyes, so he did. His pants were bright blue, leather—the shiny kind—and sat low on his hips, and Alec assumed they were only being held up by the studded belt he wore with them. Black studded cuffs and bangles adorned his wrists, while on his fingers sat an assortment of rings. Alec also noted black liner winging out from the corners of his eyes. He had brown skin and looked to be about Alec’s age. Alec had to suppress a gasp for he’d never seen someone quite like him.  
The man reached over and grabbed his drink, which was the same color as their shots had been, but in a martini glass, and crossed one bright blue pant clad leg over the other. “Seems like a strange place to waste time,” he mused and took a sip of his drink. “Are you with someone?”  
Alec shrugged. “Sort of. Just my siblings, but they’re…” he trailed off, motioning with his hand.  
“Ah,” he said again, taking a sip of his drink. He eyed Alec carefully. “Seems like a pretty mundane spot to inhabit for a bunch of Nephilim.”  
It was Alec’s turn to eye him, his blue eyes narrowing. “How’d you know we’re Nephilim?”  
“Not hard to tell,” he replied and reached over to take Alec’s hand in his own, turning it over to trace a faint rune scar on the underside of Alec’s arm. Alec stilled, hoping the effect the man’s touch was having on him wasn’t obvious. The man’s eyes glanced up at Alec, and he saw them shift from normal white with brown irises to what looked like yellow cat eyes, the iris black and slitted, and then back to normal again.  
“You’re a warlock,” Alec said quietly and with finality. The man tilted his head only slightly in acknowledgement. He gestured to the bartender then, who, a few minutes later, set a drink down in front of Alec. He hesitated. It looked similar to the one the warlock was drinking, but this one was blue with a swirly orange peel garnish on the rim.  
“How did she know what to give me?” he asked, genuinely curious, since he hadn’t actually said anything to the bartender. The man just shrugged and took another sip of his drink. Alec regarded the drink carefully, turning the stem back and forth on the counter, before he picked it up and took a sip himself. It was delicious, and he could hardly taste any alcohol in it, unlike the shots Isabelle had brought for them earlier. 

Two drinks later and Alec was feeling great. Theguy next to him was really something — snazzy dresser, interesting, and he hadn’t left Alec to talk to someone _more_ interesting than Alec himself, which definitely said something.  
Alec swayed a little in his seat. He sort of felt like if he jumped off his stool, he might float up to the ceiling. He giggled at the thought. The man’s mouth quirked up in a smirk.  
“What’s so funny?” he asked. Alec thought about it. “I don’t know,” he said finally, his eyes widening, then giggled again. “Hey, what’s your name?” he asked. It seemed like he’d been talking to the guy all night but he still didn’t know who it was. The man hesitated, twirling his third drink in his hand.  
“Magnus,” he said finally. He had to keep from laughing at Alec’s reaction. The Shadowhunter had mouthed the word ‘wow’ and was staring at him, dumbfounded. “That totally makes sense,” he said. “It’s such an interesting name and you’re such an interesting person,” he concluded. “You don’t meet a lot of people with a name like Magnus. Except maybe Magnus Bane. He’s the High Warlock of Brook—“ Alec stopped then and closed his mouth in recognition. “Are you Magnus Bane?” Alec asked, still shocked at the person sitting across from him. Magnus was the High Warlock of Brooklyn, a status that wasn’t easily obtained, and he was somewhat of a celebrity among Downworld, and had just happened to be talking to plain old Alec for the last two hours. Magnus leaned back and eyed Alec lazily. “Not what you were expecting?” he drawled, and took another sip of his drink.  
“It’s not that,” Alec said, suddenly feeling foolish. “I’ve just heard a lot about you, and never expected to see someone like you in a run down bar like this, talking to me, so…” he trailed off, not really knowing where he’d been going with that. He took another drink of his martini, if only to give him something to do. Magnus laughed lightly.  
“No worries, love, but you still haven’t told me _your_ name,” he purred and leaned in, this time running a manicured finger down Alec’s thigh. Alec almost choked on his drink which elicited a bark of laughter from the warlock. The Shadowhunter frowned, glad that his awkwardness was so amusing.  
“It’s, uh,” he croaked, and cleared his throat. Angel he was _so_ awkward. “It’s Alexander. But everyone calls me Alec.”  
Magnus jumped down from the bar stool and stood up straight. “Well, Alexander,” he purred again, “you’ve intrigued me.” Alec jumped a little at that. “I have?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. He couldn’t remember saying anything particularly intriguing. In fact, he thought Magnus had done most of the talking.  
“Of course,” Magnus said. “I’d say that calls for a dance,” he added and held out his hand to Alec, but the Shadowhunter shook his head and waved his hands in front of him. “Oh, I don’t dance.” Magnus grabbed his hand anyway. “That’s okay, neither do I,” he winked and pulled Alec from the bar stool. Alec jumped from the stool and staggered a little when he landed on the hard floor, slightly disappointed that he didn’t, in fact, float to the ceiling. Magnus took Alec’s hand then and dragged him to the club part of the building, which was through a door that blocked out the loud bumping music that Alec had thought they’d left behind at Pandemonium.  


The club lights gyrated around the room, picking out flecks of glitter from Magnus’s hair and lighting up his brown skin. When they got to the dance floor in the mass of dancing, sweaty bodies, Alec just stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Magnus leaned in then and shouted something in Alec’s ear, but the music drowned it out and all he felt was the warlock’s breath on his skin, and it made every inch of him tingle. “What?” Alec shouted and Magnus frowned. Someone then bumped into Alec from behind, causing him to fall against the warlock, who was taller than Alec originally thought, and Magnus caught him by the elbows before they both fell against someone else. He then turned Alec around and led him toward a set of doors in the back of the room. Magnus shouldered open one of the doors, which led to the men’s restroom, and before Alec could question it, he was being pushed up against the far wall, and he definitely hadn’t been expecting it. His Shadowhunter senses almost kicked in, but Magnus was in his face before he could even react.  
“I said,” Magnus breathed as he pinned Alec’s arms to the wall above his head, “maybe we could go back to my place, instead. But the bathroom will do,” he shrugged and before Alec could answer, Magnus had his hands up Alec’s shirt and his mouth on Alec’s neck. The Shadowhunter gasped, his legs almost collapsing under him. He tried to form a coherent sentence, but found it near impossible with the warlock’s perfectly manicured fingers sliding over his abs, and his perfect mouth sucking on the sensitive area of his neck, and the delightful scent of sandalwood that was muddling his brain, along with the three — or was it four?— drinks that he’d had. A breathy moan escaped Alec’s lips, but it wasn’t until he felt Magnus’s hands move to his waistband that he managed to get out a few words.  
“Magnus, wait,” Alec breathed, and stilled the warlock’s hands with his own. Magnus pulled away and looked down at Alec, who almost completely forgot what he was saying as he took in Magnus’s eyes, which were golden and slitted again. Alec shook his head, trying to get the cobwebs loose.  
“Um, it’s not that I don’t want to do…whatever it was you planed on doing…I just…I’ve never been with…I don’t know how…” he stammered and felt his neck and face heating up. He hoped Magnus understood without him actually having to say it out loud. Magnus quirked an eyebrow.  
“Are you a virgin?” he asked so nonchalantly it was almost as if he’d asked him “are you a Libra?” Alec just nodded and hoped his blush would melt him into a giant awkward puddle so he wouldn’t have to finish the conversation.  
“I’m so sorry, love, why didn’t you tell me?” Magnus asked, his hand pressed to his chest. Alec opened his mouth to speak but Magnus cut him off. “Wait…you’re 18 right?” he asked and narrowed his eyes at him. Alec just nodded again. Magnus just smirked and leaned over the Shadowhunter, his arm propped above them against the wall.  
“I humbly apologize for my behavior,” he said as he ran a manicured nail up Alec’s chest. “The drink will do that to me. But at the risk of traumatizing you, and not wanting to take advantage of you in your inebriated state, maybe we should call it a night.” At that, Alec couldn’t help his face falling a little in disappointment.  
“Oh…ok,” Alec said and pushed himself off the wall, swaying a little. Magnus could tell he felt dejected.  
“Don’t worry, little Shadowhunter,” he purred and leaned in. Alec froze again as Magnus slid his hands around Alec’s waist to his backside, then pulled out his phone from his back pocket. Before Alec could grab it back, Magnus was punching something in, then clicked it off and reached back around to slide it back into said pocket. Then, keeping his hand in the pocket, he took that opportunity to pull the Shadowhunter against him and lifted his chin gently. Alec’s eyes widened as Magnus fit his lips over his, but then closed lazily at the lush feel of the warlock’s tongue on his own. He let Magnus guide him, and his stomach flipped while his heart hammered in his chest and a tingle went down his spine. He didn’t even realize he’d snaked his hands under Magnus’s mesh shirt until he felt him jump under his touch, which only excited Alec more.  
After what felt like many blissful hours, but what had probably only been a few seconds, Magnus pulled away, lightly running his thumb over Alec’s swollen lips.  
“Call me,” he breathed, and winked before walking out and leaving a dazed and tipsy Alec in his wake. 

The three Shadowhunters had decided to take a cab back to the Institute. Alec sat next to the door, with Isabelle on his right side, and Jace moping next to her about not finding any “good tail.” Alec found it kind of funny that they’d gone to find someone for Jace, but Alec had almost been the one to leave with someone without even trying. He smiled to himself as he looked out the window; the memory of Magnus’s hot mouth on his skin kept making his stomach do weird things and he shifted in the seat.  
“What’s so funny?” Isabelle suddenly asked and Alec jumped. “Uh, nothing,” he lied. “Just a meme I saw earlier,” and he turned back to the window. “What’s that smell?” she then asked and sniffed the air. “What smell?” Jace said on the other side of her. Isabelle sniffed again. “Smells like…cologne or something.” Alec stiffened. Whatever Magnus had been wearing must’ve rubbed off on him during their little romp in the bathroom. Alec turned back to Isabelle and just shrugged, hoping he didn’t seem too guilty. “Maybe it’s the cabbie?” Alec suggested and that seemed to satisfy Isabelle. 

The cab driver dropped them at a bogus apartment building about a block from the Institute; they couldn’t very well have him stopping in front of what appeared to be a derelict church. They walked the rest of the way in silence — Alec staggering along and hoping Jace and Isabelle couldn’t tell — and Alec could sense Jace was still brooding about the wasted night. When they got to the Institute, they said their goodnights and Alec made his way to his bedroom after dropping off his Shadowhunter gear in the training room. As he pulled off his shirt, the scent of sandalwood hit his nose and he smirked to himself. He flopped down on his bed, not even bothering to finish getting undressed, and pressed the fabric up to his nose, inhaling deeply and imagining the warlock was there with him. He couldn’t believe he was smitten after having just met Magnus, and then only spending about a few hours with the flashy man. As he replayed the night’s events in his head, his eyes closed slowly and before he knew it, he was asleep.


	2. Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isabelle makes a discovery about Alec

Alec awoke the next morning much earlier than he’d wanted to.His head was pounding and his stomach gurgled uncomfortably.He’d shifted over to his side sometime during the night, with his Magnus-scented shirt scrunched up under him, while still in the pants he wore for patrolling.He rubbed his face and checked his phone.Not even 7 am.He knew he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, especially feeling the way that he did, so he rolled out of bed and changed into regular clothes and decided to make himself some coffee. 

After the coffee was brewed, Alec sat at the kitchen island, silently sipping from his mug as he stared at the contact entry Magnus had entered into his phone: Magnus the Magnificent. He smiled to himself and hovered his thumbs over the screen. Alec wished Magnus hadn’t put the decision on him to make the first move. He wanted to call Magnus right then, but thought it would seem too desperate. That, and the warlock was probably still asleep. Closing out the phone app, he opened his messages and started a new thread. He could just text Magnus; that would be easier than calling. But what would he say exactly? _Hey Magnus, _he typed_, it’s Alec from last night. Just thought we could finish what we started. hmu. ;)_ He immediately deleted it. 

“Who are you texting?” Isabelle asked behind him and Alec jumped, nearly dropping his phone on the counter.He fumbled it and quickly clicked it off. 

“By the angel, Isabelle,” he grumbled, and set the phone face down on the island, then clutched his head in his hands as his alcohol-induced headache pounded a hole through his skull. Isabelle snickered. 

“Sorry, I thought you heard me walk in.Guess you were too deep in thought,” she said and Alec thought he heard a knowing tone in her voice. “What’s wrong?” she asked, eyeing him warily.Her brother looked like shit. 

“It’s my head,” he muttered and Isabelle rolled her eyes. 

“How much did you drink last night?” she wondered and took out her stele.Alec just shrugged as she pushed some of his hair aside and drew an iratze on his forehead.Within seconds his headache was gone and he relaxed all the tension he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. 

“Thanks,” he sighed. 

He watched then as she walked and got herself a mug from the cabinet and poured herself some coffee, then stood across from Alec at the island.She leaned on her elbows and held her mug up and waited with a closed-lip grin.Alec shifted uncomfortably. 

“What?” he asked irritably and took a drink of his own coffee. 

“Who were you texting?” she smiled even wider. 

“No one,” Alec shrugged again.Isabelle shook her head. 

“You’re such a bad liar,” she laughed.“Was it that tall guy you walked into the bathroom with last night?”

Alec had picked that moment to take another drink, which he then promptly choked on.He coughed and slammed his mug down. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he croaked, and Isabelle laughed. 

“He looked cute,” she added.“Granted, I only saw the back of him, but still—nice butt.” Alec wished she would keep her voice down lest Jace hear her. Still gaining his composure, Isabelle took that opportunity to swipe her hand across the counter and grab Alec’s phone. 

“Isabelle!” he hissed and made his own grab for it, which she easily evaded.Leaning against the far counter, she unlocked the phone and opened his most recent message thread. 

“Magnus the Magnificent?” she laughed and Alec seethed in his seat.“He doesn’t sound like he has a big head or anything,” she added sarcastically.“I didn’t realize there were people actually named _Magnus. _Except maybe Magnus Ba—” Isabelle stopped and looked up at Alec who was stock still, his lips pursed into a thin line. 

“Oh. my. _gosh_!” she squealed, and Alec jumped from the island stool.“Isabelle, be quiet!” he hissed again and swiped his phone from her, while resisting the urge to clamp his hand over her mouth.He grumbled and sat back down, leaning over the counter. 

“This is so exciting!” she said more quietly.“I can’t believe you’re dating Magnus Bane! How did this even happen?”

Alec rolled his eyes. His sister jumped to conclusions way too easily.“I just met him last night. We’re not dating.”

“Are you gonna call him?”

Alec hesitated while fidgeting with his phone. “I don’t know…I don’t want to seem desperate,” he finally admitted out loud. 

“Oh, come on,” Isabelle said.“He wouldn’t have given you his number if he didn’t want you to call him.”

Alec just shrugged, and it was Isabelle’s turn to roll her eyes.“Men,” she said and shook her head.“You make everything so complicated.”

“We try,” someone chimed in, and they both turned to see Jace walk into the kitchen, while Alec subtly slid his phone into his pocket. 

“You guys are up early,” he mused and poured himself some coffee.Isabelle just shrugged and Alec took another drink of his.Jace waited for a more elaborate response, and when he didn’t get one, frowned and took a seat next to Alec, who absentmindedly tucked a chunk of hair behind his ear. 

“What’s on your neck?” Jace asked after taking a drink.Alec furrowed his brow. 

“What?” he asked. 

Jace shrugged.“I don’t know; looks like a bruise or something.” Alec’s hand immediately flew to his neck where Magnus’s lithe mouth had been the night before.“Um, I fell,” he lied. 

Jace quirked an eyebrow.“On your neck?”

Alec jumped off the stool then as he felt his skin heat up.“Yeah. Um, I just remembered I have to…do some laundry.” And without another word he practically ran back up stairs.Jace looked over at Isabelle who was trying and failing to hide a massive grin behind her coffee mug. 

“Did I miss something?” Jace asked and Isabelle just shrugged again.

“I’m gonna see if Alec needs any help with his…laundry,” she tried not to giggle and followed her brother upstairs. 

Alec was almost to his bedroom when Isabelle came up next to him and linked her arm through his. 

“Come with me,” she said and he begrudgingly agreed.She pulled him toward her room and sat him down at her vanity, facing him away from the mirror. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, already skeptical of her motives as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. 

“Just helping you out,” she said sweetly.Alec watched as she rummaged through all the knickknacks on her vanity before selecting two different products of what looked like very light colored makeup.Brushing his hair out of the way, Isabelle dabbed something on his neck that felt cold and wet, then used her finger to smooth it out. 

“So. Magnus Bane,” she said and Alec sighed.“Is my big brother a man now?” she teased. 

“Shut up,” he said and felt his neck and face heat up once more. 

“Alec, don’t blush or I can’t tell if it’s blending in,” Isabelle huffed, and he laughed lightly.Setting down the tube of liquid, she picked up the other product, which was flat and opened like a clamshell.She swirled a finger over the contents and then tapped his neck with it, before smoothing it out again.Standing back, she admired her work. 

“That was quite the hickey,” she remarked and Alec groaned and put his head in his hands.“Now don’t touch that or you’ll rub it off,” she warned. 

“Thanks, Izz,” he said while trying to avoid eye contact. 

“Anytime,” she beamed.

Later on, Alec, Isabelle, and Jace had agreed to train together, but Alec’s mind was so focused on Magnus that he could hardly concentrate and wound up bested by both his sister and his _parabatai_ numerous times. 

“By the angel, Alec, where’s your head at today?” Jace asked as he extended a hand to his adoptive brother who was currently on his back on the hard floor of the training room. They had been training with wooden staffs, and Alec's inattentiveness had gotten his feet swept out from under him by the blonde.Isabelle tried to hide her laugh, her hand covering her mouth.Alec pushed himself onto his elbows and glared at Jace who was still standing with an extended hand.Reluctantly, Alec took it and let himself be hoisted to his feet. 

“Must’ve been all those drinks from last night,” Isabelle smirked, and Alec glared at her.His stomach still felt queasy and he was resisting the urge to hurl into the nearest trashcan. 

“All right,” Jace sighed and shook his head.As he got into a fighting stance, Alec waved his hands. 

“I think I’m done for the day,” he shrugged and Jace stood up straight, a dejected look on his face. 

Isabelle bounded over. “It’s ok, we can keep training,” she smiled.Jace put his hands up in defeat and went to grab a different weapon.

“That’s two times you owe me for, now,” she said quietly to Alec.

“Yeah, right,” he replied and rolled his eyes, though if he was being truthful, he was glad Isabelle was helping him out.He didn’t think he could let both his sexuality and his association with the sparkly High Warlock of Brooklyn out for Jace to know all in one day. As he took his staff back to its holding spot, he grabbed his phone where it sat on a nearby bench, then waved to his two siblings as he walked out, waiting till he was out of earshot to turn his phone on. 

Sitting on the edge of his bed, his elbows on his knees, Alec stared down at his phone.His thumbs once again hovered over the screen, ready to type something, _anything_, to Magnus.Although he would like more than anything to get to know the warlock better, and to see if there was a possibility of a relationship, he could tell that Magnus was probably only interested in a hook up, and was more than willing to provide that for him if it meant that Alec could see him again. 

Alec shook his head then.Angel, that sounded awful and he secretly hoped Magnus wasn’t that type of person.Hell, Alec himself wasn’t even that type of person.But Magnus had ignited something in him that made him wanting more.He’d never felt about anyone the way he felt about Magnus, and every time Alec thought of Magnus, his stomach did its familiar dip, which definitely wasn’t helping his nausea.

Finally deciding to just bite the bullet and call him, Alec opened the phone app and was seconds away from touching Magnus’s number when the sensor he kept in his room started buzzing.There was one in every room of the Institute, and buzzing usually indicated demon activity nearby.He was literally saved by the bell, so he quickly began changing into his patrol gear.He’d come up with something to say to Magnus later.

Dispatching the group of croucher demons had taken longer than the three Shadowhunters had thought it would. Every time they thought they’d gotten the last of them, more would appear.They finally finished what felt like hours later, sore and filthy.

By the time they got back to the Institute, it was too late, in Alec’s opinion, to call Magnus. After a quick shower, he supposed he could give it a shot - sneak out and see him - but he thought better of it.He didn’t know how Magnus, or anyone for that matter, would react to someone showing up unexpectedly.And Alec didn’t even know where Magnus lived. 

As he lay on his bed, he stared at Magnus’s contact information until his eyes blurred from both exhaustion and the brightness of his phone screen.

“Tomorrow,” he decided with finality, before he succumbed to sleep completely, then turned off his phone as his eyelids drooped shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was sort of a filler chapter so I will try to post chapter 3 a little sooner. 
> 
> Thoughts? Good? Crap? 
> 
> Find me on tumblr @my-archerboy 🖤


	3. Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain Shadowhunter finally calls a sparkly warlock. Nervousness ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the dialogue in this chapter is taken from the "Kissed" short story and is © Cassandra Clare

The next morning, Alec went through his daily routine of breakfast and training, a certain sparkly warlock on his mind the entire time.And even though he thought of Magnus through the duration of his training with Jace and Isabelle, he managed to keep from getting knocked on his ass again.

After a much too lengthy shower, and after he was sure that neither Jace nor Isabelle would bother him, he _finally_ called Magnus. 

Well, first he paced around his room for ten minutes as his thumbs did their familiar hovering over the phone screen. Maybe if he stared hard enough at it, it would start dialing by itself. He could only be so lucky.

After realizing he’d walked in a circle around his room twelve times, he stopped and hit the call button without thinking. Then his legs gave out, though luckily he’d been standing near the bed.

The ringing on the other end felt like it would never stop, and he held his breath until finally he heard a voice.

“Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn.”

A very bored voice. Alec’s face and nerves fell. Of course Magnus sounded bored.Alec had waited too long to call, and Magnus had probably forgotten all about him.He squeezed his eyes shut; it was stupid of him to think he’d actually have a chance with someone like Magnus.

“You have three seconds to start talking before I hang up. One—“

“It’s me! Um, I mean. Alec. It’s Alec. From the bar the other night?”

“Alexander,” Magnus said in that cat-like purr of his after a shocked bit of silence. “I wondered when you’d call.” 

“Yeah I was…pretty held up yesterday,” Alec answered. He could feel his heart thundering in his chest and his leg bounced up and down nervously; he didn’t make phone calls very often, let alone to High Warlocks who made him _feel_ things.

“Really? Tell me about it,” Magnus said, which surprised Alec.He didn’t think the warlock would want to hear about his daily activities. 

“Uh, okay…well, I trained with Jace and Isabelle for a few hours—those are my siblings—and then we had a demon sighting nearby.” Alec suddenly realized that his “daily activities” didn’t amount to much and hoped Magnus wouldn’t think he’d been lying about not calling him.“What about you?” he asked, trying to divert the subject off of himself. 

“Oh you know,” Magnus sighed, “a client here, a client there.It’s all very boring.But I’m sure you didn’t call just to chat, Alexander.”

“Well, I thought maybe we could…that is, if you’re not busy…maybe you’d like to…I don’t know, hang out…or something.” Alec silently banged his fist against his forehead.Maybe he could get his next sentence out without stuttering. 

“Hang out…” Magnus said, drawing the statement out, and Alec’s heart sank.Of course Magnus wouldn’t want to. 

“Imeanifyoudon’twanttothenicompletelyunderstand,” he replied quickly.“If you’d rather…hook up or something…that’s…that’s okay too,” he added quietly.“I’m just not very experienced and I thought—” he stopped talking as he heard Magnus laughing softly on the other end of the phone, and he frowned. 

“My dear Alexander,” Magnus said, and Alec could tell he was smiling, “please don’t give yourself a heart attack over there.If I wanted you for a booty call, _I_ would’ve taken _your_ number.”

Alec suddenly felt foolish for his behavior.“Yeah I…I guess that makes sense,” he said, letting out a breathy laugh.“Sorry, I’m just…”

“Nervous?” Magnus finished. 

Alec smiled into the phone.“Yeah.I guess I just couldn’t wrap my head around you actually wanting to go out with me.”

“You’ve got to give yourself more credit, love,” Magnus told him.“I’ll try,” Alec laughed. 

“How about dinner then?” Magnus suggested. 

“Dinner?”

“Yes, tonight.How does pizza sound?”

“Uh”

“I’ll meet you at Di Fara Pizza at 8 then.”

“Um”

“Great! See you then, love.”

Magnus hung up then and Alec stared down at his phone.“Wow, that was easy…I guess.”

At 7:50pm Alec walked up to the entrance to Di Fara Pizza, hoping Magnus wasn’t already there waiting.He had hoped to be there earlier, but sneaking out of the Institute without Isabelle or Jace noticing had been harder than he thought.Slinking around in the shadows while hunting demons was one thing.Trying to get past Isabelle who seemed to be concocting something most likely inedible in the Institute’s kitchen was a whole other ball game.

He took in the restaurant before him. It seemed like a hole in the wall, and didn’t look very big from the outside; he was glad it was a weeknight because even then it seemed busy for dinner.At 7:52 Magnus strolled up and Alec found himself smiling despite wanting to throw up on an empty stomach, he was so nervous.Magnus was dressed to the nines in a frock coat with an intricate pattern over the fabric.His hair was still spiked, though devoid of glitter, and his now glamoured cat eyes were still lined with kohl.Alec suddenly felt underdressed in a baggy sweater and dark jeans. 

“Sorry, I didn’t know what kind of attire this place had,” he said sheepishly. 

“Nonsense, love, you look fine,” Magnus assured him and Alec felt himself blush.The warlock then smiled and held open the door for him, lightly touching him on the elbow as he followed Alec inside. 

“I know this place might look a little rundown, but trust me, it’s the best pizza in New York,” Magnus said as they waited in line at the counter.Alec perused the posted menu hung on the wall and they decided on a classic pie with sausage, peppers, mushrooms, and onions; Magnus paid, despite Alec’s dismay.They were lucky enough to find a table near the window and they took a seat as they waited for their pizza.

“So, my little Nephilim,” Magnus started and Alec jumped to attention.The warlock smiled and leaned his elbows on the table, his hands clasped under his chin. 

“You’ve yet to tell me which glorious Shadowhunter clan you hail from,” he said and it took Alec a second to realize he was asking for his last name.“I thought it might be important since we are on a date and all,” Magnus added when Alec hadn’t said anything. 

“Oh, right, sorry, um, the Lightwoods,” Alec nodded and Magnus raised his eyebrows. 

“Really?”

Alec nodded again.“Uh, yeah. Why?”

“You don’t strike me as a Lightwood.And your eyes…that color,” Magnus noted as he narrowed his own and studied Alec, and Alec felt himself blush again.

“I didn’t realize you knew my family that well.”

“I’ve known your family for generations,” Magnus smiled.

“And the Lightwoods you knew didn’t have blue eyes?”

Magnus smirked then.“Green-eyed monsters,” he said.Their pizza came then and they devoured it.Magnus had been right: it was the best pizza Alec had ever eaten.They talked idly until they finished, with Magnus asking most of the questions.Alec noticed that Magnus was either extremely interested in hearing about Alec’s life, or he was deflecting from his own. Either way, he found he was enjoying just spending time with Magnus.When they’d finished, Magnus suggested tea and dessert at his place, to which Alec eagerly agreed. 

Because the weather was mild and Magnus lived nearby, they decided to forgo a cab and walk to Magnus’s loft.They walked most of the way in silence and soon came upon an old looking building where Magnus took out a key and unlocked the door.There was no elevator and Alec wondered if running up and down the stairs every day was how Magnus kept so thin. 

“Make yourself at home,” Magnus said as they entered the loft.He swept his arm wide indicating for Alec to take a seat wherever he wanted.The loft had no rooms, but seemed to be divided up by groupings of furniture.Alec took a seat on an ornate couch that ended up being more comfortable than it appeared.“Would you like some tea?” Magnus asked and Alec nodded eagerly, suddenly nervous again, being inside the High Warlock's apartment and all. 

“Yeah, sure.” He felt something warm in his hand just then and he jumped, nearly spilling the contents of the paper cup he now clutched from Joe, the Art of Coffee.“By the angel,” he muttered. 

“I love that expression, it’s so quaint,” Magnus said as he stretched out on a large ottoman. He’d discarded his frock coat and was now only in a fitted black tank that rode up when he sat down and leaned back on his elbows, while a sliver of taut, tan skin peeked out. 

“Did you steal this tea?” Alec asked, eyeing him suspiciously, while simultaneously trying not to stare at that strip of skin. 

“So,” Magnus said, ignoring the question, “Did you enjoy dinner?” Alec took a sip of his tea and then nodded.“Yeah, it was great.Thank you for treating.” Magnus took a sip of his own tea and then looked away, frowning.

“What’s wrong?” Alec asked, suddenly worried he’d said the wrong thing. Magnus set his drink on the coffee table, stood up, and came to sit next to Alec on the sofa.Alec tensed.Magnus sat facing him, one leg crossed over the other and his elbow on the back of the couch, his head resting against his fist.

“I want to apologize for my behavior when we met the other night,” Magnus said sincerely.“That particular bar is pretty seedy and is a well-known hangout for that type of…conduct,” he added with a hand flourish.“I’d had one too many drinks at the club beforehand and just assumed you would be into anything.I had no intention of making you feel uncomfortable, or like you were in a spot where you couldn’t say no, and for that I’m sorry.” 

Alec was shocked at Magnus’s sudden apology.He hadn’t known the warlock for very long, less than a day, technically, but he already seemed like the type of person who didn’t like admitting he was wrong.After all, you didn’t become the High Warlock by being a pushover.He clutched his tea in his hands, not knowing how to respond.He didn’t hold Magnus at fault for anything that had happened that night, as they’d both had a lot to drink, and if Magnus hadn’t taken the initiative, they never would have met.He set his drink on the table next to Magnus’s.

“It’s okay, really,” he said reassuringly.“I’ll admit I was a little caught off guard at first, but…I’m okay,” he smiled and shrugged, hoping Magnus wasn’t beating himself up too much about it.Suddenly Alec felt something against his leg and leaned over to see a small gray tabby.Magnus followed his gaze and smiled. 

“The Chairman likes you,” he said. 

“Is that a good thing?” Alec asked, and Magnus reached down to pick up the tiny cat. 

“I never date anyone my cat doesn’t like,” he said as he nuzzled the cat’s fur, and Alec smiled and reached over to pet him, suddenly elated that Magnus considered them to be dating.Magnus set Chairman down between him and Alec and the cat reveled in the attention for a short while before jumping to the floor and padding off, while Alec turned to watch him go.When he turned back Magnus was regarding him carefully.He felt his face heat up under the warlock’s stare again and Magnus laughed. 

“You’re cute when you blush,” he said, then extended a hand to tuck a stray bit of hair behind Alec’s ear.Alec felt himself freeze as Magnus’s hand came back to rest on Alec’s cheek, his thumb grazing the soft skin there.Instinctively, Alec leaned into the touch before leaning his whole body forward, while Magnus did the same, his hand never leaving its spot on Alec’s cheek.When their lips met in the middle, it was soft and slow, and Alec’s stomach did its familiar flip.He tried to followed Magnus’s lead and hoped he didn’t still seem too inexperienced, but with the feeling of Magnus's lips on his, he suddenly found himself not caring He felt Magnus’s hand thread into his hair and Alec let Magnus pull him closer until he was practically in the warlock’s lap, while never once leaving the vicinity of each other’s mouths.Magnus’s lap actually seemed like a great place to be, in Alec’s opinion, and before he knew it, he had Magnus pushed up against the arm rest as Alec straddled him.Their kissing had turned more frenzied, and Alec felt Magnus’s hands slide under the collar of his sweater, his fingers tracing the bumps along his spine, sending a tingle down it, and Alec shivered under his touch.Alec followed suite, sliding his hands up under the back of Magnus’s shirt, feeling the taut muscles there once again. 

Wanting to taste more of the warlock, Alec finally pulled away from Magnus’s luscious mouth only to press his lips to the tanned skin along Magnus's throat.His tongue flicked out to taste him and Magnus sighed contently, leaning his head back farther to give Alec more access.Alec pulled away then, panting, and Magnus raised his eyebrows, hoping the Shadowhunter wasn’t suddenly having second thoughts.Alec gave a small gasp then and Magnus was now very worried he’d done something to offend the younger man. 

“Your eyes,” he breathed, having only seen them in their cat-like state for a second time.Magnus winced and realized he must’ve been so focused on what they'd been doing that he’d forgotten to keep his glamour up.Alec saw the visible discomfort from Magnus as his eyes start to shift back, but Alec shook his head. 

“Don’t glamour them,” he breathed again and smiled before kissing Magnus full on the mouth and pulling back once more.Too hot to continue like they were, Alec removed his sweater and dropped it to the floor.Magnus grinned and sat up, his eyes gleaming as he took in the sight of the Shadowhunter before him.Alec wrapped his long legs around Magnus’s hips, now completely in the warlock’s lap, and Magnus marveled at the Shadowhunter's physique.He ran his hands over the toned chest, tracing the faint lines that came with Alec's drawing runes on his skin every day.Sliding his hands up, he draped them over Alec’s shoulders to pull him into another kiss.He felt Alec tug on the bottom of his tank and without breaking apart, the warlock snapped his fingers and the tank disappeared.A jolt went through Alec as their bare skin touched and he felt like he could never get close enough to Magnus. Reaching behind Magnus, he propped one hand on the armrest while sliding his other hand between them, and finding it suddenly interesting that Magnus didn’t seem to have a belly button. 

Suddenly, Alec felt his backside vibrate and heard music ring out. He jumped and pulled away, his head in a fog, before realizing it was his phone.Pulling it out of his back pocket, he swore as he saw Isabelle’s name on the screen. 

“Can I take this?” Alec asked and flashed Magnus an apologetic look.Magnus slowly nodded and then leaned back against the armrest again.Alec slid back onto the couch and opened the call right before it stopped ringing. 

“Hello?” he said and cleared his throat, hoping his voice sounded normal. 

“Alec, where are you? I just went to your room and you weren’t there,” Isabelle said, and Alec could hear the tone of worry. 

He scratched the back of his head nervously.“I, uh…I went out.”

“Out? Out where?” she asked, and Alec thought she sounded surprised, almost as if she couldn’t believe he’d do something without her and Jace. 

He glanced over at the warlock and his heart skipped a beat.Magnus was stunning as he lay against the armrest, his bronze skin glistening, his gold-green cat eyes quietly observing Alec. 

“Magnus’s,” Alec said softly, and then wrenched the phone from his ear as Isabelle screeched with delight on the other end.Magnus lifted an eyebrow and Alec just shook his head and stood up, then began pacing around the loft. 

“Calm down, Isabelle, it’s just a…a date,” he said and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“How can I calm down?? This is so exciting!”

Alec rolled his eyes, not really seeing what the exciting part was for her.He smiled to himself though, glad that his sister was happy for him.He leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the loft, sort of wishing there was a room he could speak to Isabelle in private. 

“I’m glad you think it’s exciting, but just…don’t tell Jace, okay?” he said quietly.He heard Isabelle sigh. 

“Fine,” she agreed, “but I don’t think this is something you have to keep from him.He’s your brother and your _parabatai_.He’d be happy for you.”

Alec shrugged even though he knew Isabelle couldn’t see him.“Yeah…well…”

Isabelle sighed again.“Don’t stay out too late then. I don’t want to have to lie for you every time you decide to sneak out.”

“Thanks, Izz.I’ll be home soon,” Alec smiled, and they hung up. Turning back to Magnus, he wished they could finish what they’d started, but it really was getting late, and Jace would start to ask questions soon, if he hadn't noticed already that Alec was gone. 

“I uh, I should probably go,” Alec said and slid his phone back into his pocket. 

“I figured as much,” Magnus sighed and stood up to meet Alec by the wall.He snapped his fingers on the way over, and Alec found himself in his sweater again. He laughed, and Magnus slid his hands over Alec’s hips before sliding them to his backside and pulling him closer.Alec wrapped his own arms around Magnus’s waist and gazed up at the slightly taller man. 

“I, uh…I had fun tonight,” he said softly, and Magnus smiled at him. 

“As did I, Nephilim,” Magnus replied and went in for a small kiss before pulling away and taking Alec’s hand to lead him to the door. 

“Be careful on your way home,” he said and Alec nodded. 

“Call you tomorrow?” Alec asked.Magnus smiled again and kissed him once more. 

“Of course,” he breathed against Alec’s lips and then reluctantly pulled away.The Shadowhunter grinned shyly and walked out the door while Magnus watched him take the stairs down two at a time.

Alec slipped into the Institute as quietly as he could, activating his soundless rune before entering.Pulling out his phone, he sent Isabelle a quick text letting her know he’d arrived lest she worry into the night.As he silently made his way to his bedroom, he hoped Jace hadn’t noticed him missing and asked questions.He didn’t want to put Isabelle in the position of lying for him.He felt guilty enough doing it himself without bringing her into the mix.The relationship was still so new — he and Magnus had only been around each other for less than 24 hours — and he didn’t know if it was worth bringing it to light if it was just bound to fizzle out eventually.He hoped it wouldn’t—he’d never felt about anyone the way he felt about Magnus—but who knew what would happen?

Alec made it to his room without running into Isabelle or Jace, and quietly closed the door behind him.After changing into a t-shirt and boxers, he flopped down on his bed, plugged his phone in, and turned off his lamp.His head had barely hit the pillow when he heard his phone chime and vibrate against the wood of his night stand.He picked it up, expecting to see a reply message from Isabelle, when instead he saw a message from Magnus.Alec’s stomach did its familiar flip and he unlocked his phone.The message was just a bunch of emoji that didn’t seem to be related to one another, but ended with a smiley blowing a kiss, and Alec blushed.Grinning to himself, he sent back some of his own.Before he could wait for a response, his eyes closed of their own accord, and he drifted off with the memory of Magnus’s lips on his. 


	4. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is injured during a demon attack

Alec awoke the next day to a _Goodnight, Alexander_ message waiting for him on his phone, and he blushed.His and Magnus’s date from the previous night replayed in his mind and he couldn’t fight back a giddy smile. He also couldn’t believe how hard he’d fallen for the sparkly warlock in such a short time, and he wondered whether Magnus felt the same way too. He must have. Alec had no experience being in a relationship, but he assumed most people didn't make out with someone they didn’t like.

Still smiling, he jumped out of bed and quickly showered and got dressed, then called Magnus.It surprised him, as he waited for the other line to pick up, how much easier it had been to hit the call button compared to the day before.He was still anxious as the phone continued to ring, but it was a good anxious. It thrilled him, just a little; he felt hyper and awake, like how he felt when he hunted demons with Jace and Isabelle, every nerve ending firing, the rush of not knowing what to expect. 

“Good morning, Alexander,” Magnus purred on the other end when he finally picked up, and Alec found himself smiling again to the sound of Magnus’s velvety voice.

“Hey,” he said back, grinning like an idiot, and was almost glad Magnus couldn’t see how much just his _voice_ was affecting him.

“How is my little Nephilim today?”

Alec sat down on the edge of his bed, and he clenched and unclenched his fist anxiously.Okay, so maybe he was still the nervous type of anxious talking to Magnus on the phone, despite the shirtless make out session with him the night before.

“Good—I’m good.How—how are you?” _By the angel._

Magnus laughed softly.“I’m well.Any big Shadowhunting plans for the day?”

Alec shrugged, then remembered he was on the phone. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll find another hoard of croucher demons in a subway tunnel again.”

“Now _that_ sounds like a good time,” Magnus joked, and Alec laughed, some of his tension dissipating.

“But I was wondering,” Alec pressed on, “may—maybe you’d want to do something again today…if you’re not busy, that is.” He ground his fist into his knee as he awaited Magnus’s answer, then he heard the warlock sigh, and his stomach sank.

“Unfortunately, most of my day is booked up with clients. I apologize, especially if you had something planned for us to do,” Magnus said softly.

“No, no. It’s ok. D—Don’t apologize. You gotta make that dough somehow.” Alec rolled his eyes at his own awkwardness and flopped over on the bed, burying his face in his pillow.He heard Magnus laughing on the other end.

“I promise I’ll call you the moment I’m done,” he assured Alec.Alec agreed and ended the call, though secretly he felt dejected.He tried to reassure himself that Magnus really did have things to do. Obviously he had to make money.He was the High Warlock of Brooklyn after all.And you didn’t get to be High Warlock by canoodling with a Shadowhunter 24/7. 

Before Alec could wallow any further, though, he heard a knock on his door.He reluctantly rolled off his bed and opened his bedroom door to see Isabelle standing there, a giant grin on her face as she looked up at him. 

“Morning,” he said warily, wondering what she was so happy about. 

“Well, come on!” she said and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of his room.“Tell me everything that happened last night.”

Alec sighed and rolled his eyes, pulling his door closed behind him.“There’s nothing to tell,” he shrugged as they walked down to the kitchen. 

“You were gone for like four hours.You obviously did _something_,” she pried. 

When they got to the kitchen, though, Jace was already there, drinking coffee and checking his phone.Isabelle sighed then, knowing full well that Alec wouldn’t tell her anything now that Jace was there.After pouring herself some coffee, she leaned against the middle island, pouting.Alec poured some for himself as well, along with a heaping dose of sugar, and took the empty stool next to Jace. 

“Where were you last night?” Jace asked him, and Alec tensed.“I came looking for you but you weren’t in your room.” 

“Oh, I uh…went for a run,” he lied, and took a sip from his mug. “Thought I’d build up some stamina, you know?”

Jace quirked an eyebrow.“Isn’t that what the rune is for?” Isabelle snorted into her coffee and both boys looked at her. 

“What’s so funny?” Jace asked. 

“Nothing,” she smiled behind her mug and took another sip. 

Alec turned back to Jace. “Well, what if I’m in a situation where I don’t have my stele and need to outrun something? Natural stamina would be pretty helpful then, right?” he said, and Isabelle couldn’t believe how much bullshit had just came out of her older brother’s mouth.She’d never heard him lie as much as he had in the last few days.Magnus’s influence must’ve been rubbing off on him. 

Jace just shook his head, obviously confused.“Yeah, I guess so…” he conceded.Alec hoped that that was the last of the questions about where he’d been.He hated lying, especially to his _parabatai_. 

“Hey why don’t we go out for breakfast?” Isabelle suggested, trying to lighten the mood a little.The boys agreed, seeing as how they didn’t have much going on, and they made their way to Taki’s after changing into their Shadowhunting gear, just in case.When they entered the diner, it was crowded with Downworlders.They managed to snag an empty booth and ordered a few minutes later.While they ate, Isabelle chatted animatedly about a fairy boy she was seeing, much to Alec’s chagrin, which kept the conversation going for most of the meal.He wasn’t as hungry as he thought he’d be, his mind consistently thinking about Magnus, and he picked at his coconut pancakes with his fork.Every so often, he would replay their date in his head, remembering Magnus’s lips on his, his ringed hands caressing every inch of Alec’s bare skin, and Alec's stomach would do its familiar flip, almost taking his breath away.When they finished and paid, they decided to stop off at Central Park to train, tired of being cooped up at the Institute. 

Finding a relatively empty spot under a tree and near a picnic table, they glamoured themselves, then took turns fighting one another while one sat out and kept guard, making sure no mundanes tried to walk near them.Alec took first watch, sitting down on the table, his feet planted on the bench.He checked his phone for what seemed like the millionth time that day, hoping for a text, _anything_, from Magnus.The warlock must’ve been pretty busy with clients, he had to keep telling himself.

“Alec!” he heard sometime later and his head snapped up.“You’re up,” Jace beckoned and Alec stuck his phone in his pocket. He hopped off the table and walked up to Jace, who was sweating and panting heavily. 

“Sure you don’t want to rest for a minute?” Alec asked, quirking an eyebrow, skeptical that Jace would be able to keep up. 

“I’ll still run circles around you,” Jace said and held his arms wide. 

Alec smirked. “Okay, you asked for it,” he said and took out a seraph blade.Isabelle just shook her head and made her way to the picnic table.The _parabatai_ lunged and parried, their blades only occasionally clanging together as they matched each other’s moves.Neither was able to hit the other though.It was Jace who finally called time, having sparred with Isabelle already, and was thus quite exhausted.He sat down on the table next to Isabelle, who allowed Alec a five minute rest before it was her turn. 

“All right, big bro, let’s see what you got,” she taunted and jumped from the bench.Alec swung his blade around idly as he waited and then took his stance.The two siblings rarely trained together since Isabelle usually preferred training alone or with her electrum whip, and they didn’t sync their moves as well as Alec and Jace did, leaving more opportunity for their weapons to strike each other.At one point, Alec was barely able to dodge a blow that sliced one of his shirt sleeves, but quickly composed himself as Isabelle grinned, and they started again. Suddenly they both saw Jace’s stele land in between them in the grass and stopped to see mundanes headed their way.It was just as well; Alec was ready to rest but didn’t want to be the first one to say so.He panted softly as he leaned against the large tree they were under, the mundanes walking past them without a clue.Before Isabelle could continue their match, he slid to the ground and stuck his legs out, leaning his head against the trunk.Isabelle followed and sat back down on the table.After making sure no mundanes were watching, the three Shadowhunters removed their glamours and relaxed under the tree for the remainder of the afternoon, taking advantage of the unseasonably warm autumn sun.

Alec hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep until he was jarred awake by an incessant blaring noise.Looking around he saw it was the sensor Jace had been carrying.He and Isabelle had apparently fallen asleep too and were both in a state of waking up.Jace rubbed his eye and silenced the sensor. 

“That way,” he said and pointed back the way they’d come.He and Isabelle both jumped from the picnic table, and Isabelle held a hand out to Alec, which he gratefully took as she helped him to his feet. 

They followed Jace toward where the sensor indicated the demon activity was, and Alec noted the sun was starting to set, which was prime time for demons to start making an appearance.As they got closer, Isabelle’s ruby necklace began pulsing and she clutched it out of habit.Ducking into an alley, the three siblings glamoured themselves and removed their respective weapons.Alec pulled an arrow from his scabbard and notched it into his bow, while Isabelle readied her whip, and Jace pulled a seraph blade from its holster. 

“Amriel,” he said and it flared brightly. 

Isabelle’s necklace pulsed erratically and the three stood with their backs to one another, waiting.A demon should’ve been right on top of them, according to Isabelle’s necklace, yet they saw nothing.Alec held his breath and listened; a flapping sound above him caught his attention and he looked up to see a large, winged bird-like demon flying toward them.Without waiting, he pulled back on the arrow and let it fly, taking the Harpyia demon down where it shrieked and fell to the ground before combusting into a pile of ash.The three Shadowhunters looked at the ground where the demon had been, then back up toward the top of the buildings they were currently concealed between. 

“Was that it?” Alec asked. Jace just shook his head, Isabelle’s ruby necklace still flashing.Suddenly they heard what sounded like hundreds of flapping wings.Alec readied another bow, and before they knew it, a swarm of Harpyia demons came flying toward them from the top of the building.The three lashed out with everything they had.Like giant demonic vultures, the demons came at them from every direction.Alec loosed arrow after arrow, each demon falling to the ground, writhing, and then bursting away in ash and ichor.Isabelle twisted and flicked her wrist, her whip flying and striking several demons at once.Jace’s seraph blade jabbed and sliced, rag-like wings and body parts being flayed all over the ground before combusting.After what seemed like hours of this, Jace was the one to deal the final blow, and the three collapsed into an exhausted heap. 

“Where do you think all of those came from?” Alec panted as he wiped sweat from his brow.Jace shook his head, then struggled to his feet. 

“You got me, but I don’t want to be stuck in this alley all night. I'm beat. We can look in to it tomorrow.” He helped Alec and Isabelle to their feet, then began walking toward the alley entrance.Alec took a step forward but stopped suddenly, holding an arm in front of Isabelle.He narrowed his eyes at her necklace—the red ruby had begun flashing again.Isabelle frowned and they both looked around them for signs of another demon.A shadow on the ground in front of them grew in size until a large, hulking figure dropped from the sky, landing behind Jace, and raised a long tentacle, poised to strike the blonde.

“Jace!” Alec called. Before Jace could react, Alec had impaled the Raum demon through its back with an arrow.It cried out and whipped around, clearly angry, and struck out violently with its tentacles, backhanding Alec and sending him flying into the wall of the opposite building before he landed in a heap on the alley floor.Isabelle staggered back and pulled her seraph blade from her belt, the demon ready to strike again.It stopped suddenly, though, and she saw a blade thrust through the front of it before being pulled back, causing the demon to burst into a cloud of ash and ichor.Isabelle breathed a sigh, silently thanking Jace, then remembered her brother.Looking around frantically, she spotted him lying on the ground across the alley, unmoving. 

“Alec!” she cried and ran to him, with Jace on her heels. 

The older boy lay stock still on the ground, his limbs flailed out around him; a large gash on his head was oozing blood onto the alley floor.

“Draw an irazte,” Isabelle said, her voice shaking.Jace pulled out his stele and drew a shaky but visible irazte rune on Alec’s forehead.The bloody wound healed itself, but Alec lay unmoving. 

“Jace, he’s not waking up!” Isabelle cried, her voice now frantic. 

“He—he must have a concussion.I-I don’t know what to do.Iraztes can’t heal internal injuries like that.” Jace stared at his _parabatai_ laying motionless on the ground, his pallor turning a sickly gray. 

“We have to do something!” Isabelle shouted but Jace could only shake his head in disbelief.He was at a loss for words; Shadowhunters rarely suffered internal head injuries, and he quite literally had no idea what to do. Suddenly it dawned on Isabelle. 

“I’ll call Magnus,” she said and searched Alec’s pockets for his phone. 

“Magnus? Magnus who?” Jace asked. While Isabelle searched, he began murmuring to Alec, trying to get him to wake up.Isabelle located the phone, relieved that Alec didn’t have it locked, and quickly found Magnus’s number. 

“Come on, pick up, pick up…” she muttered. She heard the other line click and then a lightly accented voice on the other end. 

“Hello, my little Nephilim. I was just about to call you,” the voice drawled. 

“Magnus!” Isabelle shouted, her voice shaking with fear for her brother. She didn’t have time for formalities.

“Uh, hello? Who is this?” Isabelle could practically see the confusion on Magnus’s face.

“It’s Alec’s sister, Isabelle!”

“Oh, hi. Is…is everything all right?”

“No, it’s not. We need you here _now_,” Isabelle said her voice shaking with emotion and unshed tears.“Alec got attacked by a demon and now he’s really hurt and we’re trying an iratze but it’s not working and—” 

“Isabelle, calm down.Where are you?”

Isabelle tried to explain her location as best she could and within seconds a portal had appeared on the opposite side of the alley.Magnus jumped out and reached the huddled group in three long strides.Jace was currently bent over his _parabatai_ on one side, while Isabelle crouched on his other side, Alec’s hand clutched tightly in hers. 

“Move aside,” Magnus demanded and kneeled down next to Alec’s still body as Jace and Isabelle stood up to give him room.Holding back a gasp as he took in Alec’s pallor and the pool of blood, Magnus put a hand on the Shadowhunter’s head and focused his attention, trying to gauge the extent of Alec’s injuries.After a moment, he put his other hand on the other side of Alec’s head and sparks of blue began crackling from his fingers as he worked to heal Alec from the inside out. It felt like hours before the sparks finally stopped and Magnus fell away with a gasp, panting heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead.Reaching forward again, he placed a hand on Alec’s cheek. 

“Alec? Can you hear me?”

Jace and Isabelle were now on the ground again, anxiously hoping for Alec to wake up. 

“Alexander?” Magnus tried again, and this time he let loose a small blue spark under his thumb, hoping to jar the Shadowhunter awake.There was a slight shift under Magnus’s palm as Alec’s head moved on the ground, and his eyes blinked open slowly. 

“Magnus?” he murmured as his eyes focused on the warlock. 

Magnus stuck two fingers up in front of Alec’s face. 

“How many fingers am I holding up?” he asked. Alec squinted and then blinked. 

“Four?” he slurred.“Close enough,” Magnus said and put his hand down. 

“By the angel, Alec,” Isabelle breathed and bent over to grip her brother in a hug. 

“You had us worried there, buddy,” Jace added and wiped at his eyes. 

“Sorry,” Alec mumbled and the three helped him sit up. 

“I think I was able to heal him completely so he shouldn’t have any lasting effects,” Magnus said, and lifted his hand to cup Alec’s cheek, but then stopped before ultimately letting it drop. Alec gave him a pained look before dropping his eyes to the ground.Magnus took Alec’s hand then and helped him stand. 

“Magnus, thank you so much,” Isabelle said as she jumped up to wrap her arms around the warlock.She had unshed tears in her eyes that threatened to fall any second. 

“Yeah, thanks,” Jace said, eyeing Magnus warily.“You can bill the Institute.”

“Uh, don’t worry about it,” Magnus said and waved a hand dismissively after Isabelle had finally let go. “Consider it an act of good faith,” he added and tried to keep his eyes from jumping to Alec. Jace narrowed his own eyes at the warlock, but before he could jump to any conclusions, Isabelle linked arms with him and began pulling him in the other direction.

“We should get back so Alec can rest,” she said. 

Alec watched Magnus turn and walk off in the other direction. He bit his lip, not wanting Magnus to leave just yet, but not wanting to arouse suspicion from an already suspicious Jace. He couldn't leave without thanking Magnus, though. 

“Hey, why don’t you guys go ahead and I’ll catch up,” he said to his siblings. “I can’t let him leave without giving him _something_.”

Jace quirked an eyebrow at Alec, but Isabelle turned him around to keep walking.

“Magnus!” Alec called when he was certain he was out of earshot of Jace and Isabelle.Magnus stopped and turned around, waiting for Alec to catch up.Before the Shadowhunter could say anything more, though, Magnus grabbed the front of his gear and pulled Alec tightly against him.It took Alec a second to realize what was happening, but he returned the hug, his arms going around the warlock’s narrow waist.

“Please be more careful,” Magnus breathed into Alec’s hair, then pulled away and cupped Alec’s face in his palms.“Otherwise, the next time you need me to save your life, I might be so distressed I won’t be able to focus properly.”

Alec gave Magnus a small smile.“Sorry. I promise I will be,” he said and then tilted his head up for a kiss, and Magnus happily obliged.It was slow and gentle, and they were both exhausted and Alec was covered in blood but neither wished it would end. He wanted to go back with Magnus, to his loft, feeling safe and wanted in his company, but he knew he couldn’t and he didn’t think he would be able to explain staying out all night after his brush with death.

“Thank you, by the way. And I’m sorry about the whole Jace thing,” Alec apologized after they finally broke apart and Magnus just shrugged. 

“I guess I’ll survive,” he said and frowned. 

“I’ll call you tomorrow?” Alec asked, and Magnus titled his head.

“Alexander, you don’t have to ask permission to call me,” Magnus chuckled,and ran the back of his hand down Alec’s cheek affectionately.Alec blushed, but grinned. 

“Got it,” he said, and they reluctantly went their separate ways.


	5. Wednesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Jace train together; Alec goes with Magnus back to the loft
> 
> (summaries are hard)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really fluffy, and then kind of smutty?? Though nothing too explicit 
> 
> ♨️As always, personalities and descriptions of Alec and Magnus are based off the books♨️

Alec awoke to the sound of knocking on his bedroom door.He groaned and pulled the blanket over his head.Even though he’d went to bed early the following night, and even though Magnus had assured him he had no lasting damage, the demon attack from the night before had taken a lot out of him.He wasn’t sure how early in the morning it was, but it felt early and whoever was knocking on his door had better watch their back. 

“Alec, come on!” Jace called from the hallway and knocked again.Alec groaned louder this time, then reached for his phone on the nightstand.It was just past 7 am and Alec was not happy.Flinging the blanket off of himself, he angrily padded to the door and wrenched it open. 

“What?” he demanded, and Jace just laughed. 

“Wow, you are not a morning person,” he said. 

Alec leaned his head against the door frame and crossed his arms. 

“You already knew that,” he mumbled and closed his eyes. He was tempted to just fall back asleep right in the doorway. 

“Come on,” Jace continued.“We’re going to train.”

Alec groaned a third time and walked back into his room, shutting the door behind him so he could change. 

Ten minutes later, Alec was walking into the training room, no more awake than he had been ten minutes earlier, only now he was in his training gear which consisted of a gray t-shirt and dark sweat pants.With his eyes barely open, he shuffled his way to the middle of the room where Jace was already standing. 

“Dude, you went to bed at like 9:30,” he said and rolled his eyes.Alec only shrugged.

“Gimme a break. I almost had the brains knocked out of me last night.And what was so important about training today that it had to be _right_ now?” he asked, mid-yawn.It was Jace’s turn to shrug and Alec just scowled and picked up a seraph blade.He swung it around a few times before getting into a battle stance and Jace followed.They started at each other and their blades connected, the metal clashing and sparking.Their blades whistled as they flew through the air.Alec took a swing at Jace, who did a back handspring to avoid it. 

“Show off,” Alec said as he narrowly deflected a blow from Jace. 

Jace panted as he dodged another swing. “So how is your head?”

Jace’s blade came swinging down at Alec’s head, and their weapons banged together harshly, the force reverberating down Alec’s arms. 

“Fine,” he grunted and they pulled apart.They took their stance again, panting, and started at each other once more.

“Good thing Magnus Bane was there, huh?”

“Yeah, good thing.” 

“So you guys are dating now, huh?” Jace said as he swung his blade out. 

“What?” Alec said, stopping suddenly, and backed away a hair too late as Jace’s blade sliced through the front of Alec’s shirt.Alec’s weapon clattered to the floor as he clutched his chest, wincing as he immediately saw blood seeping through his fingers. 

“Shit,” Jace hissed and dropped his blade too.He ran to Alec, stele already out.“I am so sorry, Alec.Are you ok?”

“Yeah, it’s just a scratch,” Alec said through gritted teeth.He pulled off his shirt to inspect the damage. A long, shallow gash was dripping blood down Alec’s chest, made all the more alarming against his pale skin.He hadn’t even noticed that Jace had gone and retrieved a towel until he was jogging back to Alec with it.Alec took it and wiped away the blood on his chest and hand, then reached down for his stele. 

“I got it,” Jace offered and drew an iratze before Alec could argue.The gash quickly healed and all that was left was a faint white scar. 

“Thanks,” Alec said, and then inspected his shirt, which now had a gaping hole and was covered in blood stains. 

“I really liked this shirt,” he added, giving Jace the side eye.

“You have, like, 8 shirts just like it,” Jace said and crossed his arms. 

“Yeah but this one was the comfiest,” Alec joked, and Jace rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry again, but in my defense, you let your guard down.” Alec just shrugged. Jace wasn’t wrong so it wasn’t as if Alec could argue.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Magnus?” Jace asked then, his voice soft. 

“What? That I know him? What’s the big deal? I have to run everyone by you that I know?” Alec said defensively while clearly trying to avoid eye contact.He was much too interested in the hole in his shirt. 

“It’s just a little odd that you just happen to have the High Warlock of Brooklyn in your phone,” Jace said. 

“Why? We met the other night at the bar and he said to call him if we ever needed anything.He would’ve done the same for you or Isabelle.”

Jace took a step forward until he was only inches from Alec, who stiffened at the close proximity of his _parabatai._

“Alec, I might be blonde and pretty, but I’m not an idiot.”Alec opened his mouth to speak but Jace cut him off.“Granted, last night was the first time I’ve met Magnus Bane, but his reputation doesn’t strike me as someone who just does favors for anyone, especially Shadowhunters.You’ve also snuck out almost every day since that night we went to the club, and you’ve been happier over these last few days than you’ve been in months.” Alec only pursed his lips, and when Jace didn’t get a response, he cupped his stubborn _parabatai’s_ face in his hands.“I’m your brother - let me be happy for you,” Jace said and Alec, who was suddenly too overcome with emotion to say anything, just swallowed and nodded. He'd never expected that Jace would find out about his relationship with Magnus because of a fluke accident while demon hunting. But now that Jace knew, and was okay with it, Alec felt that crushing weight lifted off of him. He shouldn't have been surprised--he knew Jace would always have his back no matter what. 

“What’s going on?”

The two boys turned to see Isabelle walking into the training room.They stepped apart and Alec did his best to conceal the tears that were threatening to fall.“What happened in here?” she asked as she took in the sight of a shirtless Alec who was holding a bloody shirt in one hand and a bloody towel in the other. 

“We got a little overzealous with the training,” Jace said and shrugged.“So, Alec was just telling me that he and Magnus Bane are dating.”

“Oh my gosh, Alec, that’s great!” Isabelle beamed.“I already knew that, actually,” she added and Jace rolled his eyes. 

Alec blushed.“I don’t recall actually _saying_ anything, so…”

“Hey, why don’t we all go out to breakfast together?” Jace suggested with enthusiasm. 

“Oh, we don’t have to—“

“That’s a great idea!" Isabelle agreed. "Alec, call Magnus and tell him to meet us at Taki’s in an hour,” she added, and she and Jace went to go get changed. Alec stood alone in the training room, suddenly wishing he’d stayed in bed. 

An hour later, the three Shadowhunters were seated at Taki’s Diner waiting for Magnus, and Alec was contemplating his life choices and how Jace and Isabelle had talked him into bringing Magnus to breakfast and how he’d talked Magnus into agreeing.They didn’t have to wait long, though, before Magnus was walking in and sliding into the booth next to Isabelle.Alec couldn’t stop the flush that crept up his neck to his face and it seemed like the more he willed it to recede, the more flushed he ended up. 

“Um, Magnus, this is my sister Isabelle, and my brother and _parabatai_ Jace,” Alec mumbled.“Guys, you know Magnus.”

“Magnus,” Isabelle smiled and tilted her head, and Jace just nodded. 

“Well, I’m certainly glad we could meet again under less abhorrent circumstances,” Magnus said.“And how is your head, Alexander?” he asked as he folded his hands under his chin.

Alec nodded vigorously.“Good.Great actually.”Jace snickered beside him.“Ow!” he hissed as someone’s boot-clad foot collided with his shin, though knowing Alec and Isabelle, it could have easily been either of them. 

The group finally ordered and Alec was relieved that the breakfast wasn’t as awkward as he imagined it would be, and he happily devoured his pancakes, famished from not having eaten since the day before.He was also relieved that Jace and Isabelle had not proceeded to embarrass him in front of Magnus.

They finished up eating and were awaiting the check when Alec’s phone started to ring in his pocket.He frowned.He was already with all the people who would’ve been calling him, which could only mean that it was one of his parents.He pulled it out of his pocket and low and behold, it was his mother. 

“Mom’s calling…” he announced to the table and they all stared at him. 

“That’ll stop ringing when you answer it,” Jace said sarcastically, and Alec scowled at him.

“Hello?…hey mom…yeah, they’re right here…uh, ok…”

Alec slid out of the booth and motioned for Isabelle to follow.Magnus stood to let her out and then sat back down, watching as Alec and Isabelle walked out of earshot. 

“Wonder what that's about,” Jace said aloud and crossed his arms over the table.Magnus could only imagine.“I’m glad they’re gone though,” Jace added, and Magnus turned to face him.

“Oh, really?” he said, and he had a feeling he knew where this conversation was headed.“And is this the obligatory ‘don’t-hurt-my-_parabatai_-or-else’ threat?”

“What if it is?” Jace shrugged

Magnus leaned forward, copying Jace’s pose.“I can assure you I have no intention of hurting Alec.And even if I did, he’s fully capable of taking care of himself.”

Jace scoffed.“You’ve known Alec for, what, a week?” he asked. 

“Yes, and in that time I can already see the influence you have on him.”

Jace looked taken aback.“The influence _I_ have on him?”

“Yes.He’s a completely different person when you’re around him. He’s barely said two words since we’ve been here.His confidence when you’re not around is through the roof when you’re not there to shoot him down all the time.And we’d still be dancing around behind your back if he hadn’t gotten injured last night because he was so worried about your finding out.”

Jace ground his teeth together.“Hey, that was all him.I never told him I had a problem with who he was interested in.”

“And yet he confided in Isabelle, but not you? Interesting.” Magnus leaned back in the booth and tapped a long, ringed finger against his cheek. He thought Jace would jump across the table and punch him had Alec and Isabelle not walked up right then. 

“Everything all right?” he asked and Alec took a seat next to him this time.

“Yeah, it was just mom letting us know they’re coming home tomorrow,” Alec said and Magnus immediately noticed a difference in his demeanor. 

After they paid the check, Alec decided to accompany Magnus home, much to Jace’s annoyance.

As Alec and Magnus walked to the warlock’s loft, Magnus took the younger man’s hand in his own.“Everything all right?” he asked and gave Alec's hand a squeeze.

“My parent’s are coming home,” Alec said matter-of-factly. 

“Yes, you mentioned that.Though, judging by your tone, I take it it won’t be a happy family reunion?”

“It’s not that,” Alec shook his head.“I mean, I missed them, sure, especially my younger brother Max, but I thought I could at least have another week or two to be, you know, out, now that Jace knows, and now…I’m sorry,” he shook his head again.He was tired of sneaking around, and he’d only been doing it for less than a week.Magnus squeezed his hand again and they stopped, having reached the front of his building. 

“I know what kind of pressure you’re under,” Magnus said, taking both of Alec’s hands in his own.“I’m well aware of how scary both the Clave and Robert and Maryse can be.” Alec gave a small smirk.“But I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do,” Magnus finished. 

“Thanks,” Alec said and leaned his head up to brush his lips against the warlock’s, who happily obliged.As they stood like that, a passing teen on a bike hurled a slur at them and they broke apart.Alec barely registered the slight movement of one of Magnus’s fingers before the teen wiped out, crashing into a pile of trashcans.Magnus then turned on a dime and pulled Alec through the doorway to the building.

After climbing the stairs to the loft, Magnus unlocked the door and Alec followed him inside.As he closed the door behind them, a small ball of fur came out of nowhere and Alec immediately scooped it up. 

“Hey, buddy,” he cooed to Chairman Meow who gave a tiny mewl.“Haven’t seen you in a few days.”He nuzzled the Chairman’s soft fur and kissed the top of his head. 

“Are you sure you’re not just dating me because of my cat?” Magnus asked suspiciously. 

Alec sighed.“You caught me,” he shrugged.“I’ll just take him and be on my way then,” he said and made as if to open the door. Magnus put a manicured hand against the door, his tall lean frame not quite towering over Alec, who couldn’t suppress a grin. 

“That was mean,” Magnus joked and bent his head to capture Alec’s lips in his own.The Shadowhunter complied and they moved closer together, the small tabby still squished between them.The Chairman mewed and jumped out of Alec’s hand and Alec took that opportunity to run both his hands on the strip of skin that always seemed to peek out under Magnus’s shirts.Magnus pulled away then, and Alec furrowed his brow, his hands instinctively pulling back.“What’s wrong?” he asked. 

“I just wanted to make sure that boy downstairs didn’t upset you,” Magnus said, honestly surprised that Alec wasn’t more worked up about it, but the Shadowhunter just shrugged.

“It was just one stupid teenager.”

Magnus smirked.“Yes it was,” he said and leaned in once again.He was now fully convinced that the Golden Wonder definitely had an adverse effect on Alec’s confidence.If the same incident had happened with his _parabatai_ around, Alec would’ve been a sputtering mess.He couldn’t fault him for that, though.Magnus got the feeling that Alec felt inferior to Jace in almost every aspect of his Shadowhunting career.And it didn’t help that his parents were Robert and Maryse Lightwood. 

“What about you?” Alec asked pulling away slightly. 

“What about me what?” Magnus replied and took that opportunity to kiss Alec’s neck.

Alec’s eyes fluttered shut but he pressed on. “Did it upset you?”

Magnus had to stop then so he could answer.“When you’ve lived as long as I have and you’ve heard every slur in the book thrown at you, you learn to just tune them out,” he shrugged.

Alec looked pained.“That’s not right,” he said, and Magnus could only give him a sad smile.

“It’s not,” he agreed, running a finger down Alec’s arm absentmindedly.“Ordinarily I ignore such things, but I didn’t think that boy should’ve gotten off scot-free with you there.”

“Magnus, you tell me the next time someone says something hurtful to you, and I will personally kick their ass for you,” Alec said, and Magnus broke into a smile. 

“Ooh, my big, strong Shadowhunter,” he purred and nuzzled Alec’s neck again, who sighed and leaned back against the wall.

“I was thinking,” Alec said after a few minutes of Magnus doting over his neck, “maybe we could move somewhere more comfortable.”

“Sure, we can go to the couch,” Magnus mumbled. 

“Um, well, I was thinking more along the lines of…the bed?” Alec stammered, his skin heating up, and Magnus pulled back and quirked an eyebrow at him.“You know, ‘cause there’s more room…and you’re like 9 feet tall…”

Magnus scoffed at that.“I’ll have you know that I am an average height of 6 foot 2 and you’re not far behind.”

“Ok, so we’re 12 feet and 2 inches crammed on a couch.Sounds delightful.”

Magnus threaded a hand through Alec’s hair, his lips inches from the Shadowhunter’s.“Are you always this sarcastic?” he muttered, his lips grazing Alec’s. 

“Only when I’m nervous,” Alec said truthfully, and he felt the warlock smile against his mouth.He anticipated their lips finally connecting again, but Magnus drew away then, only to grab Alec’s hand and pull him toward the bed.

“You gave a compelling argument,” Magnus said, and before Alec could respond, the warlock had picked him up like he was as light as Chairman Meow and thrown him on the bed.Alec yelped before hitting the mattress where he bounced once and couldn’t help laughing.Pushing himself up on his knees, he grabbed Magnus’s shirt and pulled him down onto the bed with him, their lips meeting in the process.They wrapped their arms around each other, hands snaking under shirts, fingers grazing skin.To Magnus’s surprise, Alec had taken both of their shirts off before Magnus could even snap his fingers.He pushed the Shadowhunter back against the pillows and his eyes dropped to the very long but faint scar across Alec’s chest that he swore hadn’t been there a few days ago.“What’s that from?” he asked and ran a finger over it. 

“Jace,” Alec said.“He tried to cut my heart out today.”

Magus’s eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline.“It was a joke…” Alec mumbled, and Magnus just rolled his eyes.Then he bent down and kissed the very spot.“Did it hurt?” he asked, and kissed lower. 

“Just a little,” Alec sighed, and the warlock went ever lower until he was at Alec’s navel, dipping his tongue into the crevice.Alec felt his stomach flip, the muscles there instinctively dipping lower, and a small whine escaped his parted lips.Magnus smirked against Alec’s porcelain skin, and he continued planting kisses along his taut waistline.Glancing below Alec’s belt, he noticed the Shadowhunter’s abs weren’t the only thing that was taut.He grazed a finger under the waistband of Alec’s jeans. 

“I can go lower if you’d like,” he purred, then rubbed his other hand on the inside of one of Alec’s jean-clad thighs. 

Alec wasn’t sure where to go with himself at this point.The thought of Magnus going _lower_ made him both anxious and excited.But if he thought about it for too long, Magnus might change his mind, and then think that it had something to do with him, when it was really Alec and his unnecessary, racing thoughts, until finally Alec just told his brain to shut up and enjoy it. 

“Um…” he finally managed to squeak out.“Okay.” 

Magnus smiled.He could tell his shadowhunter was going through a bit of a conundrum, not that he could blame him, being so inexperienced.And he definitely wasn’t trying to pressure Alec into doing anything he didn’t want, or was ready, to do.But Alec surely needed this release, so why shouldn’t Magnus help him out?Kissing him one last time on the stomach, he placed a hand on Alec’s belt and ever so slowly unbuckled it.Alec, in the meantime, was having a hard time processing whatever was going on down there, not because he was nervous, even though he was, but because in the short time that he’d known Magnus, he’d never seen him do anything so painstakingly slow. It was really taking everything in him not to shout at the warlock to go faster. 

Magnus, being very wise and intuitive, could sense Alec’s discomfort at the speed in which he was progressing, so he decided to alleviate it.Snapping his fingers, the button and fly on Alec’s jeans magically opened.Magnus then gave his jeans and boxers a tug, then gripped Alec in his palm, reveling at how the Shadowhunter writhed and moaned.Magnus knew that Alec was close to the edge, even though he’d only been at him for a minute or two, so even though Magnus’s hand was fine, he wanted Alec to feel amazing.And Alec certainly didn’t object when Magnus replaced his already magical hand with his even more magical mouth. 

Alec arched his back as Magnus’s mouth made contact with him, and while he should’ve been embarrassed by whatever sounds his own mouth happened to be emitting, all he could think of was Magnus’s glorious mouth on him, and it wasn’t long before he let Magnus know that, the warlock’s name flying from his lips like a lifeline.Angel, he’d never finished so fast in his life. 

Magnus snapped his fingers, tidying up Alec’s lower half.The Shadowhunter lay there, panting, one arm slung over his forehead, his torso glistening with perspiration.It had been a while since Magnus had seen something so stunning, and he basked in the sight of him.Magnus slid down on the bed next to Alec, folding his arms under his chin. 

“Did we enjoy ourselves?” he purred, and Alec turned his head to face him, his chest still rising and falling languidly.His eyes shone brightly, and Magnus could almost feel himself drowning in their blue oceans. 

Alec’s arm flopped back onto the bed and Magnus unfolded his own to reach over and run a hand through the Shadowhunter’s messy hair.

“Magnus, that was…” Alec breathed, and Magnus just waggled his eyebrows.Alec laughed and rolled onto his side, capturing the warlock’s mouth with his own.“I could repay the favor if you want,” he mumbled against Magnus’s lips while sliding a hand over his backside, but Magnus only shrugged, then rolled onto his side and propped his head in his hand.

“Seeing as how you’re still new to all of this, I’ll let you off the hook…_this_ time,” he winked. 

“Don’t say I didn’t offer,” Alec said and nuzzled the warlock’s neck before kissing him there and lying back on the bed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another kind of filler chapter that I split up, otherwise it would've been really long


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not an update - I apologize. Please see chapter text

I want to ask everyone’s opinion on something. I’m kind of over this story. I technically have one more chapter ready to be edited, but no ending (and when I say no ending, I mean the chapter abruptly stops). I had planned on obviously coming up with one, but I’m kind of mentally exhausted from writing atm, and I feel like this story isn’t going anywhere. So here’s what I can do:  
(1) try to come up with something to end this in a chapter or two  
(2) leave it incomplete  
(3) take your suggestions: is there anything you want to happen? I’d be happy to write more if I could just get an idea, but I’m kind of tapped out of those. So if y’all have prompts for an ending (or I can just keep it going) that you wanna throw my way, by all means. You’re reading it, friends, so tell me: what would you like?

**Author's Note:**

> Good? Crap? Let me know what you think. Will try to update weekly. 
> 
> Thanks for reading 🖤💙
> 
> Find me on tumblr   
@my-archerboy


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